Hundreds of activists, religious leaders and politicians yesterday took to
the streets in separate protests against the war.

Despite being
too late to voice its official opposition to the war before it started, the
Legislative Council unanimously passed a motion yesterday afternoon calling
for an immediate halt to military action and an intervention by China at the
United Nations.

Lawmakers from
across the political spectrum joined hands and marched in protest from the
Legco building to the US consulate at 4.30pm, after passing the motion. They
said the war was in clear contempt of the UN.

Unionist Lee
Cheuk-yan said: [US President George W.] Bush said Iraq is part of the axis
of evil. We see a new axis arising, which is the US and Britain. They are
the new evil who ignore the lives of the innocent to start a war for their
own gain.

Tam Yiu-chung,
of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong, accused Mr Bush of
depriving Iraqis of the right to live.

Democrat
Martin Lee Chu-ming warned the US and Britain with a Biblical quote from
Christ: Put away the sword as he who uses the sword shall perish.

Liberal Party
chairman James Tien Pei-chun said war would harm the economy.

In a separate
rally early yesterday afternoon, a group of about 50 anti-war activists,
including Muslims and nationals from the US and Britain, protested in heavy
rain outside the US consulate, denouncing the hostilities.

The Reverend
Fung Chi-wood, spokesman for the Hong Kong No War Coalition, said the group
strongly opposed and condemned the US-led military action, which it believed
was a mission to control oil supplies through overwhelming military might.

To express
his discontent over the war, he began a 48-hour hunger strike in front of
the US consulate, where a peace camp was set up.

American
citizen Bruce Van Voorhis, communications officer of the Asian Human Rights
Commission and a core member of the coalition, described the war against
Iraq as evil versus evil.

We have been
told that this war is to liberate the Iraqi people, but how many Iraqis will
die during their liberation? he asked.

The group
presented a petition to the consulate staff expressing Hong Kong citizens'
opposition to the war.

A candlelight
vigil was also held in Chater Garden in Central yesterday evening while
another anti-war gathering will be held in Edinburgh Place on Sunday.